Tone Deaf
by Yenri
Summary: After living a sheltered life in Port Island Harbor, Knuckles and Sonic are suddenly forced to venture into the seas to save their family. But they are seized by pirates and about to receive their punishment; Death! But before that can happen the ship is put under the influence of one of the most deadly creatures of the sea- Sirens! (Knuxadow)
1. Chapter 1

Port Island Harbor, a large port city in the middle of an seemingly endless sea, a rest stop for adventurers and shipping crew. The city was always lively, always noisy, and always visited by sea weary men and women looking for lodging and a pint of pretty much anything with liquor, rum, or even moonshine. Children played near the harbor, throwing stones and feeding the seagulls loafs of rye bread. One particular child was using a piece of parchment he found as a makeshift rolled up telescope, looking over all the ships docked in the harbor. A young scarlet furred echidna, roughly 6 years old, wore a white ruffle shirt,a red sash tied around his waist, and black bloomers. The petite child giggled as he saw the seagulls gently squawk at the children feeding them, occasionally getting so close to the kids that they shrieked in excitement. He hopped up and raced over to join the other children in their play. Once he ran over to where the kids played the seagulls flew up in shock, making all the youth on the dock collectively giggle.

"Silly birdies!" The echidna child tittered, picking up a piece of rye bread off the ground, "Come here! Come here!"

"Careful, Knuckles! Our parents told us not to feed seagulls with our hands." One of the children warned, as seagulls were prone to random fits of violence and over-activity, especially when food was involved.

"It's okay! Birds like me. C'mere, birdies! Get the bread!" The aloof child, Knuckles, held his hand up high as a seagull flew over him and perched on his shoulder. Knuckles' eyes suddenly widened in pure unadulterated joy!

"Guys! Guys! Look! I'm a sea captain! Climb aboard me' dinghy, mates!" With a hearty laugh Knuckles brought his hand to the seagull and let it grab the bread from his hand. The gull then hopped off the child and waddled away, squawking lightly at Knuckles. The puggle imitated the gull's waddle much to the youngster's delight.

 **"Children, get away from the gulls. Clover, It's not safe to be around those birds when they're eating."** ordered one of the parents of the children Knuckles played with. A ram whose daughter, a sheep with pink bows around her tiny horns, was halted from petting a gull with her cloven hoof when she heard her father's warning. Her friends surrounding her slowly eased away from the collecting avian, occasionally calling out for Knuckles to do the same.

"Knuckles, Clover's dad says if you get to close to those birds they'll carry you away", a tiny fawn apprised, "or they might try to eat you or feed you to their babies!"

Knuckles looked over the birds that began to collect more and more around his feet, squawking gently at their food provider. The puggle began to grow nervous and with swiftness he screamed, "Go get it!" tossing the bread crumbs to the far end of the dock. It was awe-inspiring to the echidna to see the birds, in perfect sync, fly up and away to their newly freed meal.

* * *

As the children departing back to their homes and the gulls, finishing off the last of the crumbs, Knuckles was left sitting on the dock, his feet danging off the edge. He took in the alluring sight of oranges, reds and purples, bleeding together like an oil painting. The boy watched birds disappear in the horizon, creating a sense of envy in Knuckles' heart. He sighed as he slowly stood up, brushing off his outfit from the bread crumbs littering his blouse. The young lad began to venture back home when he heard the cheers of drunken sailors fill his ears. Knuckles stared wide-eyed at the partying and against his better judgement rushed up to the pub where the noises emanated.

Knuckles peered through the wood finish door to see large groups of sailors gulp down and devour large amounts of beans, rice and pasta and, on the other side of the pub a woman sat alone in a booth looking over her saber, rubbing an odd stone along the blade. The child gently pushed himself through the crowd of boatmen, finally reaching the booth after having beer nearly spilling on him repetitively. One of the crew nudged his mate to look over at the puggle struggling to climb the bar stools.

"Oi! Runt, you need a little help?" The gentlemen, a bull raised his brow and lightly pressed his foot against Knuckles' tush and gently pushed him on top the seat, the small child now clutching onto the seat and squirming so he could sit upright. Knuckles looked over his shoulder.

"Thanks, mister!" The bull couldn't help but laugh at this small child struggling to stay seating on the bar stool with it's uneven legs. He looked around the building to see if maybe he could find this kid's parents or something. This kid didn't just walk in here on his own, did he? He noticed the pub was getting more and more crowded by the minute and the male began to worry for this child's safety as he sat in a pub full of drunk numbskulls. "Hey, kid, uh, where's your mom or dad? Do they know you'e in here or something?" Knuckles shrugged and gently spun around on his stool. "My daddy works late sometimes so I like to come here to wait until he comes back." "Oh, well, the name's Toro, kid. You mind if I keep you company til your dad comes and picks you up?"

"Okay."

"Hey, barman! get this kid some food. You hungry, _niñito_?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Barmen, an order of _empanadas_ for my friend. What's up, _pequeno?_ Your old man hasn't fed you today, huh?" Toro sipped his drink, as he watched the cooks prepare the child's dinner.

"My dad's been visiting a friend after work almost everyday so he's been really busy. He left me some bread and milk this morning for me."

" _Tch,_ bread and milk. A growing boy like you needs a real meal! What kind of parent leaves their - what are you 6?- 6 year old with just bread an milk? _E_ _sta es loco!_ "

"I don't know. what kind of food do you eat?", Knuckles asked his new companion while a hot plate of empanadas was placed beside him, the mouth-watering scent filled his tiny snout and the puggle couldn't help but salivate a little.

"All the basic food groups, kid. Bread, dairy, fruit, grain, protein, and it helps if you got a back breaking job like I do to keep you in shape." Toro answered, finishing off his drink, peeking over at Knuckles who was practically wolfing down his dinner.

"What's your name little buddy?" Toro asked to which Knuckles replied with a mouth full of _empanadas,_ " _Knufl-zzz!"_

 _"Pft_ , swallow your food and try again, _pequeno."_

Knuckles gulped hard, a mess of tomato sauce and rice, "Knuckles!" Toro raised a brow at the child and looked over the other's tiny physique. He thought to himself what on Mobius could have influenced his parents to name their kid something like that. Maybe it was some sort of cultural thing or something. Toro put his drink aside and ordered a _leche con chocolate_ for his new friend. "Y'know, uh, Knuckles, you remind me a lot of my little girl."

"You have a daughter?"

"Sure do! She's the most beautiful little girl in all the seven seas! Her name's Lopë." Toro gently took out a locket he had tucked away in his shirt, opening it up to reveal Lopë and another girl that Knuckles assumed to be the mother. The barman suddenly coughed lightly and handed Knuckles his _leche_ and watched with astonishment as the echidna sniffed it lightly before swallowing the whole beverage in one gulp. "Yummy!"

" _H_ _eh-_ _heh,_ come to think of it, _s_ he eats like a horse and she's a little goofy like you too." Knuckles huffed a little at being called goofy, much to Toro's amusement.

"Where is she? How come you're not with her?" Toro put his locket back in his shirt, patting his chest gently. "Well, Knuckles, it just so happens to be my daughter's 8th birthday tomorrow. I've been away at sea for about 6 months and I plan to surprise her and her mother at her _cumpleaños_ tomorrow." Toro then grinned wide in excitement for his reunion with his child. Knuckles smiled too as he noticed the adult next to him beam with joy.

Suddenly, the barman cried out, alerting the patrons in the pub.  
"LAST CALL FOR ALCOHOL AND FOOD."

Toro then looked over and Knuckles plates, empty and even licked clean. The large bull knocked on the counter, and raised his hand to get those barman's attention.  
"Let me get one more order of empanadas, add an extra side of tortillas. Hey, _pequeno._ Go ahead and take this home, share with your old man. Tell him Toro said this is what a real meal should look like." Knuckles tilted his head to the side as he listened, then hopping excitedly at the mention of more food.

"Thanks! I really like _emp-empanandadas-adas!"_ The echidna peeked over at Toro suddenly stifling bursting out laughing at the child's horrible pronunciation. The barman handed Toro a woven basket with a plate of the _empanadas_ and the tortillas stacked on top of them. The beefy bully delicately handed it to Knuckles, then carefully picked the puggle up by the back of his shirt, lifted him up and off the bar stool.

"Get home safe, alright? Don't talk to any strangers, _pequeno."_ Toro realized how fatherly he was talking to this child that wasn't even his, but he couldn't help it. being a father himself just make him feel more sympathetic to this child whose parent he wasn't even sure was even aware he was gone. He supposed if -god forbid- his daughter ever wandered into a pub by herself that a morally sound person would protect her and make sure she was safe.

"Thank you! Bye, Mr. Toro!" Knuckles waved frantically as he balanced the basket on his knee, he then went back to cradling the basket and left the pub, leaving Toro feeling at least happy he got to keep such a nice kid fed and safe.

* * *

It really was a dark night tonight, near pitch-black, with the only source of light was the moon, and even that was struggling to escape the cover of the cumulus clouds that filled the sullen sky. Knuckles tried to trek as fast as his tiny limbs could go, his acute case of nyctophobia creeping in slowly, a faint tingling sensation plagued the back of his neck. Knuckles wasn't terrified of the night, or anything, but his imagination made it extremely hard for him to find any comfort in it. And loose parchment looking like a large bug scuttling along the ground. The faint breeze made him imagine a large beast creeping behind him, his breath making his fur stand on edge.

The puggle tried to focus on the tasty food he carried in his basket, the faint scent of flour and cheese giving him a calm and soothing feeling. He gripped the basket close to his body as he darted down the dock, his breathing hard and almost ragged.

In the distance he could see his _pueblo_ home, made of stone, wooden poles and thick mud from the garden his father gathered on the outskirts of the shores. Knuckles smiled wide as he started to slow his sprint, imagining the look on his father's face when he tastes the delicious food Toro has bought for him.

Suddenly, Knuckles stopped completely when his ears caught a faint voice. No, it wasn't a voice, it was more like...a cry. Knuckles recognized it to be a youthful cry, meaning it wasn't likely a stranger. Perhaps it was a child that got lost on his way home, or perhaps needed help. Knuckles quickly went to investigate. He would have been scared if it didn't sound like it was coming from something so distressed. Knuckles found himself on the edge of the harbor that surrounded the entire port city, looking around he didn't immediately see the source of the cry, much less hear it anymore. He was about to shrug and blame it on his overactive imagination again - until he heard it a bit louder.

"Is that a...?" Knuckles turned around sharp at the heel and went back on the search, the crying sounding full of more sorrow than ever before. It didn't take long before the echidna saw a barrel at the end of a extensive dock. The child tiptoed slowly and hesitated to look inside the barrel, suddenly wondering if his suspicions were correct than what he'd see in that barrel might make his stomach turn. he mustered all of his courage and lifted the top of the barrel.

Inside was a tiny blue hedgehog toddler, swaddling in a thick fleece blanket, clutching rosario in it's tiny hands like it's life depended on it. His tiny snout sniffled as he squirmed in his swaddle his small hands trying hard to reach for something around him to give him comfort. His bright blue spines were bristled, and his face looked tired and dirty. Who knows how long this baby had been all alone in this barrel. Knuckles dropped the barrel lid on the floor, startling the child and causing it to slowly start crying again.

"Aaah! N-No, no, no! Don't cry, little baby! I'm not going to hurt you! Um, um, I'll go get my daddy, okay? He'll help you find your parents." Knuckles put the top back on and started to frantically look around, seeing nothing but ships that seemed to be ported on every dock on this side of the harbor.

"Hello? Hello?! I found your baby! He's right here!" Knuckles turned around to head back towards his home but stopped so suddenly he almost fell over. He couldn't leave this hoglet all by himself, he'd have to take it with him to make sure it's kept safe and by the looks of it the poor thing was already freezing in that decrepit barrel. He looked over at the basket he still held in his hands. 'He'll be really warm in there!' Knuckles thought, kneeling down and carefully removing the plate of empanadas.

"Ouch! Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!" He nearly dropped the plate on the ground at the stinging burn in his palms grew more , the basket was still warm from the food so the baby shouldn't be shivering anymore.

"Don't be afraid, okay? No more crying." Knuckles reached inside, standing on his the tips of his toes to make him tall enough to full reach inside the large barrel. His hands were inches away from the baby, who finally saw his attempts to grab it. Without missing a beat the hoglet rolling itself over and wiggled itself closer to Knuckles' arms. The echidna chirped in surprise as such delicate and fragile fingers touched his own and a chilling sensation filled his chest, When he finally felt like he had a good grip on the baby he lifted him up and looked at this tiny infant he found.

Upon closer inspection the baby had beautiful seawater green eyes, his fur was as blue as the tides and his face a pale light brown like the sand. Knuckles was gently brought the child close to his chest, hugging it gently. On cue, the tiny hoglet gripped the echidna's shirt and nestled his face deep into it. Knuckles face was burning, hot and red, he almost didn't want to let go of this child. But, when a chilling breeze blew past them, making the baby start to whimper Knuckles finally remembered his task. With incredible delicacy he lowered the baby into the woven basket, the blanket itself wasn't warm at all so Knuckles then thought of grabbing the flour and corn tortillas from the dinner plate and placing them on top on the infants stomach. The baby squealed loudly in amused joy, wiggling around at the sensation, his small snout sniffing the flour while his toothless mouth gently teethed on the corn tortillas. Knuckles smiled at his good handiwork and stressed on how he should lift the basket. he decided to pick it up from the bottom, cradling it like he did the baby. He started to rush back home, but stopped suddenly when the tiny hoglet began to whine and whimper.

"Aah! Sorry! I'll be more careful, uh, you don't have a name, do you?"

The baby gave no response as it continued to gnaw on the corn tortilla. Knuckles chuckled and looked around once more, looking back at the barrel he found his knew friend and the empty and boats that were docked beside it. A lot of the boats had strange symbols written all over them, which in reality was just regular English, but since wasn't exactly a strong reader he couldn't make out any of the words. Until he saw one row boat, bobbing softly in the rising and falling calm of the ocean.

"S-s-s...Sonic." Knuckles looked down as this wonderful miracle of life he had drooling all over his tortillas and he came to a decision as he pressed his snout against the hoglet's.  
"Hey, baby, I'm going to take care of you. But your a baby so you need a name. So, I think I'm going to name you Sonic! Do you like it, Baby Sonic?"

Sonic, at the sound of it's new name, began to squeak and giggle with joy as Knuckles' snout tickled his chubby face. Knuckles' face was a bright pink as he laughed gently and headed back home.

"Let's go see your new daddy, Sonic!"

* * *

"Daddy! Daddy! It's me, Knuckles! Daddy open the door! Please, Daddy!" Knuckles rubbed his arms and looked over at Sonic napping quietly in his basket. Knuckles had been knocking on his front door for what seemed like an eternity. There wasn't a single sound coming from inside his home, making the echidna panic at the thought that his father wasn't even home yet.

"Daddy! Are you home? Daddy?!" No answer. Knuckles' breath hitched and he could feel his cheeks burning, his throat tightening, and his eyes start to burn. He was scared, terrified even. He had no idea what he could do now. The puggle turned and rested his back against the door, pulling the basket close to him as he started to sob, quietly as he did not want to wake up Sonic.

"Daddy...Daddy... _sniff, sniff_..."

" _Pequeno?"_

Knuckles slowly looked up and saw a massive black figure shrouded in the dark of night, but that voice made his thoughts clear up and that sudden sense of relief made him nearly hop to his feet.

"Toro! My dad's not home and I don't know how to get in my house,"

" _Ay, pequeno._ Thank god, I came to check on you! Do you know if your dad said he'd be going anywhere tonight?"

"No! No, he didn't. He's supposed to be home. But, I don't know if he can hear me."

Toro looked at the large stone door in front of him and he started roughly banging on it. Once, twice, three times all with no answer.  
"Hey! Open up! You're kid's out here! Hello?!" Toro looked around for something that might help them get inside, but his eyes caught on something else; something was squirming in Knuckles' dinner basket.

" _Pequeno_ , what is that? A rat?!" Toro snatched Knuckles away from the basket as Sonic's snout peaked from under the blanket.  
"No! That's not a rat! That's my baby! I found him all alone! I named him Sonic! I don't know where his parent's are and...I don't know where my dad is." Knuckles wiped his arm against his snout as his nose became runny. Toro then noticed Knuckles was clutching a large piece of parchment.

" _Pequeno,_ what's that in your hand?"Knuckles sniffed once more before looking down at his hand.

"It's a piece of paper I found on my door this morning. I was using it as a telescope to find my daddy." Toro's chest tightened as he held out his large hand to take the parchment from him. The bull flipped it around and realized there was a large letter written out all over the back of it. He wondered how Knuckles didn't notice, but he supposed to someone so young it must've just looked like scribbles.

"There's writing on it! Maybe it's from your dad!"

"Really?! What does it say?"

Toro began to read the letter as Knuckles picked up Sonic from the basket and embraced him. What he read made him sick to his stomach.

* * *

 _Knuckles,_

 _I'm afraid I will not be home for a very long time. I've left some money, some food, and plenty of clothes for you as you now must live without a father. As I'm writing this letter to you, my heart is brimming with pain. These past years, after your mother left, have been especially hard on me. I'm not sure exactly what happened to me, but when I look at your face, hold you in my arms, feed you, raise you, I realized I wasn't happy. It wasn't until a few weeks ago did I realize that this life I shared with you was not enough for my seemingly empty heart. Yesterday, I decided to speak to the sea. And for the first time ever she actually spoke back. It was incredible, son. You know, not many people will admit it so easily, but there's something about the sea. Something that creates what feels like a burning fire in my chest. Maybe it was the success of others, or the promise of uncharted land, or even the risk of venturing and having my own life be threatened. Whether it's the thrill, glory, or even riches, it doesn't really matter. The sea has been the most beautiful mistress I have ever met and until now I could only dream of exploring her. She has asked me to join her in what she has promised to be the life of adventure and happiness that I have been longing for so long. I have resisted my true nature for too long. I'm so sorry, my son. I know as you read this you will already be set on hating me, but please try to at least understand._

 _I truly did love you._

 _\- Your father_

* * *

 _Knuckles tugged on Toro's pant leg, cradling Sonic in one arm. He was concerned with how much the bull's arm was shaking and how distraught his eyes looked._

 _"Mr. Toro." The bull gasped lightly and looked at the children looking up at him, one too young to even read and the other too young to even speak._

 _"Is my daddy coming home soon?"_


	2. Chapter 2

_"I don't think you're dad will be home anytime soon, pequeno. Look, how about you come stay with my wife and I until he comes back. Sonic too."_

 _"Thank you."_

 ** _14 years later_**

* * *

"Sonic! Come on, wake up! You're sleeping the day away!"

Sonic, now a 15-year-old, stirred in his bed, groaning in an annoyed manner. The voice that so suddenly woke him belonged to no other than his now 20-year-old brother, Knuckles. The full grown echidna chuckled at his sibling and with a devious smirk he jumped into the bed and hugged his brother through the blankets!

Knuckles, now a strapping young man, had incredible strength. Whether it was from having an bull for a father or two siblings to look out for wasn't clear, but it would explain a lot. Ever since that chilling night all those years ago Sonic and Knuckles have been inseparable. However, even though they were brothers Knuckles had a habit of seeming more like a mother than anything else.

"You lazy-butt! You better get up before I **make** you get up." Knuckles peeked inside the blanket where his brother hid, the hedgehog's pouty expression was all he could see. The echidna sighed and in one swift motion had his brother in his arms, swaddled up in his blanket.

"Waah-! Knuckles! Put me down!" Sonic tried to squirm and escape his brother's grip but it was futile, the echidna had him beat when it came to the muscle department. "Aaww! Look at my adorable little brother! Oh, it's just like when I found you as a baby!" Knuckles then started to cradle and hold Sonic like an actual child.

"Knuckles, please put me down, c'mon!" Sonic just wanted to sleep in and now this was happening. He was worried he'd drop dead from embarrassment.

Suddenly, a set of footsteps came thumping upstairs, until it came to Sonic's door and knocked agitatedly. Knuckles mocked a scared expression and only brought Sonic's body closer to him in a protective fashion. "Oh, no! Someone's come to take my baby! Help!"

Then, on cue, a stout bovine female, barged in the room. She was a 21-year-old cow with pitch black fur and white furred ears. She wore a plain red gown that gently grazed the floor and a white bonnet on her head. Her horns poked out the front of the bonnet while her ears rested on the side of her head. Her face was scrunched in annoyance as she walked towards the two boys and proceeded to tap her hoof on the wooden floor. "Is there a reason you're keeping poor daddy waiting downstairs? Breakfast is getting cold!"

"Shhh! Lope, you're going to wake the baby!" Knuckles snickered as he suddenly heard load groaning emanating from the blanket swaddle.

"Oh no! Well, we can't disturb the little baby! Here, I'll help you!" Lope rolled up her sleeves and before both men knew it she was carrying them both in her beefy arms! She waddled through the door, humming to herself and tossed them onto the kitchen floor where they landed beside the kitchen table. Knuckles, amazed and amused sat up and starting laughing hysterically, while Sonic now extremely annoyed and embarrassed then tackled Knuckles and had the echidna in a weak choke-hold.

"You two think you're so funny, don'tcha? Well, jokes on you, I haven't brushed my teeth yet! Hope you like fish breath, knucklehead!" With that Sonic started heavily breathing on his older brother's face, the echidna now laughing even harder tried to yank himself free from the hold.

"Eww! You're disgusting! Oh my god, Sonic!" Knuckles buried his face into Sonic's blankets, to which Sonic then joyfully accepted his revenge.

"Now, now, boys. _Silencio_. I didn't raise a bunch of _pendejos_ now did I?" a voice called out from the kitchen. Sonic and Knuckles held their heads ashamedly, both shaking their heads in unison.

" _Lo siento, papa."_

The sound of a cane tapping the wooden floor made Knuckles and Sonic hurriedly start straightening up, fixing their disheveled fur and ruffled clothes. Sonic quickly stuffed a strawberry in his mouth from the fruit bowl on the table in a desperate attempt to make his breath sweeter. Knuckles stood up and held out his hand for his _papa_ to aid him to the table.

"Alright, _andale,_ you eat or you don't." The voice revealed himself to be Toro, a now middle-aged bull. His build was still burly and strong, but his age has made him slower and shorter as he know hunches over a cane when he walks. The old bull slowly walked to his chair, but before he could pull his chair out Knuckles was already holding it out for his father.

"Sit, _papa_ , I'll get your plate."

" _Ay,_ thank you, _pequeno._ Sonic, _mijo,_ have you heard that the market is having a sale of fish and bread? Be a good boy and go get some for us before they run out, but first eat. Your sister worked hard on our breakfast."

"And you better eat all of it this time!" Lope tugged on Sonic's ears playfully, making Sonic yelp in shock.

"Ay-yi-yi! Okay! Geez, Lope, you'll never get a nice husband with an attitude like that." He teased, finally sitting at the table and pouring himself a glass of apple juice.

"Oh, yeah? Well, you'll never get a good wife with such a weak looking body. You need to eat more and get bigger, like Knuckles!" Lope sat down and made a plate for herself of fruit, bread and a bowl of _huevos rancheros,_ egg with spicy tomato sauce.

"Get big like Knuckles? Lope, listen to yourself. Knuckles is more of an bull than an echidna! There's no way eating more will be all it takes to make me look like him. It might make me look more like you though."

"Why you-!" Lope huffed and kicked Sonic underneath the table, resulting in the hedgehog to burst out laughing. Knuckles smiled as he watched his siblings, knowing full well that although those two bickered and poked fun at each other more than anyone in the world that they still loved each other. Teasing was just the only way those two could show it being as prideful as they were. "Sonic, y'know I've always had a big appetite and that _Papa_ would train me all the time when I was younger. So, if you want I could train you too. It might help get those dock men off your back." Knuckles sat by his father and poured him a glass of water.

"What's going on with the dock men? Did they catch you inspecting their boats, again?" Lope turned in her seat, pointed at her brother accusing;y with her fork. Sonic gently placed a finger on her fork and moved it away from himself.

"It was just a innocent little tour. It's not like I'm a criminal or anything."

Toro banged his cane on the floor, the loud echo startling his children.

"Sonic, those men are in charge of goods and very important cargo. If they catch you on their boats again they won't be so forgiving. I know you're not like those thieves and hooligans out there, but they are within their rights to discipline you, maybe even arrest you! Now I don't want to hear anything about you going near those boats again without permission, do you understand?"

Sonic's awe-struck expression was followed by his ears flattening against his head.

"Yes, _papa._ "

Knuckles couldn't help but feel guilty for accidentally outing his brother, but it was true. The dock men have been extremely lenient already by not reporting Sonic sooner for trespassing on their boats. He looked down at his plate and suddenly felt like he lost his appetite.

* * *

"Hey, Sonic. Where'd you go?"

Knuckles walked along the dock market that extended from one side of the harbor to the other. He had accompanied his brother on his shopping trip to hopefully cheer him up on the scolding he got from their father earlier. He had just purchased some chicken and bread when the echidna suddenly turned and realized Sonic was no where to be seen.

Knuckles trudged through the busy market and figured the hedgehog just went home. Walking back his ears suddenly caught the sound of whistling, the sound echoed from the far end of the harbor..

"Sonic! There you are. I was wondering where you went." Knuckles strolled to the hedgehog who sat on the edges of the one of the docks. The echidna didn't like the lack of a response from the other so he knelt down beside him, while Sonic continued whistling.

"Hey, is something wrong?"

The whistling eventually stopped and the hedgehog let out a long and tired sigh.

"I want to leave."

"Oh, okay, let's head home." Knuckles' obliviousness almost made Sonic laugh.

"No, Knuckles. I mean, I want to leave...here." Sonic scratched at the wood underneath him and could hear Knuckles slowly place the basket down beside him.

"Oh." The echidna sat on the edge with his brother, both silent and staring out into the horizon. Knuckles didn't know what to say, what could he say? He took a deep breath and lied back on the dock, staring up into the sky. He hoped he could just go to sleep, but this needed to be addressed now.

"You getting sick of home?"

"No, that's not it. It's just...this place is literally a rest stop for sailors who stop and go back onto the seas where they explore who knows what! I guess, seeing all that made me realize how stuck I am."

Knuckles sighed, "Sonic, not all those men are hardened adventurers. Some are just fishermen or boatmen who deliver goods. And I can assure you all they think about when they're out on the seas is when they'll come back home."

"How would you know all that?"

"Because Dad was the same way, remember? He was a fishermen just coming home from a 8 month voyage and he happened to stumble upon us and-"

"He quit his job so he could raise us. I know the story too, Knuckles." Sonic held his legs in his arms as he stared at the water, now ashamed he questioned Knuckles' logic. He knew Toro, his dad, was a fisherman before he decided to adopt him and his brother, but a part of him couldn't help but imagine his dad aboard a ship, visiting new lands and having a great time. How could he not?

"You don't think Dad liked the sea even a little bit?" Knuckles scratched his nose and shrugged, Toro was a man of few words when it came to his life on the sea so Knuckles had no idea if Toro enjoyed the experience or not.

"I wouldn't say that. It's no doubt exciting to visit new lands, but when you have a family there are just some things that can never measure up, y'know. Those men are out on the sea to work not go on swashbuckling' adventures. Besides, where would you go?"

"I dunno, anywhere but here. Don't you feel the same?"

"Well, sure, it's not healthy to stay in one place all your life. But, I understand that there's a time and a place for everything. I couldn't just pack up and leave whenever I wanted when I have you, Lope and Dad to worry about. I'm the oldest brother, Sonic, I'm suppose to look out for you and our big sister. And right now I feel obligated to tell you that what you're feeling is perfectly natural, but you're far too young to think about traveling out there on your own."

Knuckles torn a piece of bread from the loaf and started eating while Sonic was quiet, pondering over his elder brother's words of wisdom. It was true, all of it. Even if Knuckles had this burning desire to leave home it would be unethical. Ever since Toro quit from his fisherman job to take care of the children Toro's wife, Cesped, continued her job at the fabric store to earn money. But now, Cesped was gone, and Toro has been handicapped by his age. He can't walk nearly as much, can't lift excessive weights, he can't even eat the same foods he used to. But he still insists to do the housework and cooking when he can. And Lope, though she's tough and resourceful, she couldn't possibly take care of Dad all by herself. She'd have Sonic, of course, but Knuckles is their rock. His kind and nurturing personality would be needed if Dad ever...

Sonic felt a surge of emotions crash into him like rogue wave, making the hedgehog lie back on the dock and grab his brother by instinct. Knuckles was taken by surprise by the sudden hug, but didn't stop it. Without thinking twice the echidna held his brother close and the two laid on the dock in a supportive embrace.

"Let's go home now."

"I'm sorry, Knuckles."

"Don't be."

The walk home was quiet and unpleasant, Knuckles wanting to give Sonic some more advice but not being able to find the words and Sonic wanting to voice his ideals more but refusing to risk sounding like an idiot. For as long as the hedgehog could remember he had been a curious child and everyone knew this.

"Dad, you going to be okay going to bed?" Knuckles led his father up the stairs, holding his hand and making sure the bull didn't lose his balance.

"I'll be alright, _pequeno_ , You go ahead and go to bed." Toro kissed Knuckles on the back of the hand and strolled to his room, his tail dragging on the ground in a back and forth motion.

"Good night, _papa,_ I love you." Knuckles turned towards his room when he heard what sounded like soft sobbing coming from Lope's room. Being her brother Knuckles fought the urge to go into full panic mode and wake his dad so he simply knocked on her door.

"Lope? You okay?" He waited for her to respond, but he just heard sniffling and shuffling until the door slowly opened, showing him his sister's red eyes and stuffy nose. Knuckles gently pet her head and let himself in.  
"Hey, hey, what's wrong? Did something happen?" He sat on her bed as she tried to wipe her tears away, then sat beside her brother. "Oh, Knuckles. I just, I can't bear seeing Daddy like this. Yesterday, he couldn't even get up from bed by himself. It broke my heart when I saw him there, struggling and trying his best not to look helpless. Knuckles, I can't handle this. It's been years since Mom died, but now Daddy he's..." Lope slowly lost control and started bawling into her brother's chest. Knuckles wanted to cry as well. He knew this was tough to watch and he'd do anything to take this pain away from her, but he had no idea how. No one wants to see their parent struggle like that and with Cesped's death still feeling so sudden they were all feeling a little anxious. Even though Toro was only middle aged and at first glance he looked just fine, bulls were notorious for having rather short life spans and being more prone to sickness than others. But Knuckles couldn't tell her to just deal with it and face the facts. No, he'd have to be more eloquent when it came to a matter this serious.

"Hey, look at me, c'mon look at me. Dad is getting old, yes, but he's so happy and safe with us. Mom was too. She went peacefully with no regrets and Dad will be just as happy. Don't look at death as this frightening storm, think of it as the calm after. Think about it, you see Dad struggling now, but when his time comes he'll be with mom again. He'd want us to be strong and remember him fondly. Right now, let's love him while we still share this planet with him, okay?"

Lope's tears still streamed down her round face, her jaw tensing from wanting to yell in total anguish over her father's fate. But, she knew Knuckles was right. Spending all this time crying over something that isn't here yet only took away time she had with her father now.

"Thank you, Knuckles."

After a couple more minutes Lope was ready to go to bed and Knuckles saw himself out. He couldn't fathom what could have cause these intense emotions to stir inside his siblings, but it was starting to take it's toll on the echidna too. He hated feeling it, and he wished he could just fly away and find solitude in the clouds. Anything was better than stirring in his emotions alone in his bedroom. Anything at all.

The next morning was the most awkward and tense morning Knuckles had ever experienced. He didn't know how he was going to enjoy his day or even pretend that things are normal in his home. It ate him up inside knowing all these revealing desires and concerns of his siblings, he almost forgot to even eat his breakfast. Was he suppose to just pretend he didn't see his sister cry in concern for their aging father and his brother yearn for adventure in a dangerous sea. A tender touch on his forearm alerted Knuckles back to his senses, his elderly caretaker gently smiling at him.

" _Pequeno,_ could you please go to the market today and pick up my medicine? Here's some money for it." Toro then dropped a few silver coins into his sons palm, the coins softly clinking together in his son's hand.

"Yes, _papi."_ Knuckles took a mental sigh of relief as he was given this errand to help get his mind of his familial matters, but then his father decided one wasn't enough.

"Sonic, why don't you go with your brother. You should learn how to get your _papi's_ medicine for him in case Knuckles is too busy."

" _Papi!_ I'd never be too busy!"

" _Heheh,_ I know, that's why it's just in case." Toro sighed as he looked over his rough hands, rubbing at his callouses. Toro had been raising these children for years and it wasn't until now did he really start to feel his age. He looked over to his sons who were know stuffing their faces with breakfast so they could head out on their errands. They both looked so big and Toro almost let out a tear when he felt his sons kiss both sides of his face suddenly.

" _Adios, papi!_ _Voy a obtener su medicina!"_

"What he said!"

Next thing Sonic knew a slipper whizzed by his head and he looked over to see Lope glaring at him from the kitchen table, while Toro watched with frightened amusement.  
"Sonic, you need to practice your Spanish! Everyone in this house speaks it fluently except you!" Lope screamed after the boys, Toro laughing at his hot headed daughter. Sonic stuck his tongue out at his pestering sister and shoved his big brother through the door.

"C'mon, let's go, slowpoke!"

"Alright, Alright, but y'know, you really should practice your Spanish, Sonic. I hate always translating everything between you and dad."

"Aw, don't be such a nag, Bro!" Sonic shook his brother's shoulders and patted him hard on the back.

"It's not my fault my big brother only spoke English to me when I was a baby!"

"Okay, smart-ass. It's true English is my first language, and I did speak it a lot when we were growing up, but I picked up Spanish quickly after Toro took us in. You should be at least somewhat fluent in it! Unless you've been tuning out _papa_ that whole time?"

Sonic shrugged and made a loud sigh, walking a little ahead of his older sibling.

"Could you blame me, Knux? It's all ways _pequeno_ this and _pequeno_ that. You're the only one he really talks to."

"Sonic, that's not true. It's just harder for Dad to understand you when you only speak English!"

"And then he calls for his _pequeno_ for help."

"I have to translate for him, Sonic!"

"Geez! I know! Calm down, hot-head!"

Sonic was amused at Knuckles rightly earned annoyance, smirking as he looked over to the echidna's puffed out cheeks and clenched fists. Sonic didn't actually care that Toro was more talkative to Knuckles than himself. How could he blame him? Knuckles met the guy when he was about 7 and that just means they've both had plenty of time to bond while Sonic was busy teething on his brother's dreads. What really bothered him was how Knuckles always seemed more happy speaking English than Spanish. Whenever the echidna spoke Spanish it always seemed forced, like a formality. Sonic must have realized the echidna's disconnect to the language and as such subconsciously avoided studying it. Lope spoke perfect English too, but only because her mother insisted on it.

"Alright, enough about that, where the hell's this clinic with Dad's medicine?"

"You should be staring right at it where you are, Sonic."

"Well hurry and get over here, cause all I see is a old shack with the some words written all over it."

"Wait-What?"

Knuckles, suddenly feeling his heart pound and flutter at the same time, rushed to Sonic's side. What he observed was a confusing sight. The same clinic he ha been going to for years was now closed shut. Before, the doors were always open, with a curtain screen separating the outside from the in. Now the doors were locked shut at that same curtain was now spread across the walls, spelling 'CLOSED-LOW SUPPLY-EMERGENCIES ONLY'. Knuckles gawked at the sign in awe, his brain slowly registering what was happening.

"What the hell? The clinic's closed? It's never closed!"

"What does 'emergencies only' mean?"

"It-it means only antibiotics, bandages, and stitches will be available..."

"Well, that's all well and good, but Dad doesn't need any of that stuff! What the hell are these people thinking?"

Knuckles took a deep breath and turned his gaze to Sonic who was literally scratching his head over this predicament. He had been in this situation before, a long time ago, and he hoped the same person that knew how to handle then knew what to do about it now.

"We need to go back home."-

"But, the medicine...?"

"There's none of that here. We just have to tell Dad what happened."

There was no warning of this, as far as Knuckles knew, of any kind of medicinal shortages. He knew the Harbor Master, who was an old drinking buddy of his dad, should be at his post and as such should be able to fill them in on what was happening. Great, after last night things seem to be getting even more stressful. Knuckles wondered if he should start stress-eating again, he certainly needed some kind of stress relief right now. Sonic wasn't looking at better, confused and worried, it was a shock that the hedgehog wasn't asking a million questions a minute about what was happening right now. Well, he did ask a few, but not nearly as much as Knuckles expected.

"First, we need to visit the Harbor Master. Maybe he know what happened to all the medicine shipments."

"What if the Harbor Master doesn't know anything? What'll we tell Dad?"

"I don't know, but we need to just tell the truth and stay calm. Dad should be fine on his current dose for a while so let's not rush to panicking and expecting the worse."

"Alright. You're right."

The two boys strode across the harbor until they found who they where looking for, an old walrus who would know which ocean's seawater had the most salt to what a sailor 's old sick mother had for dinner. He was the man with all the answers when it came to the harbor which is why it was slightly comforting when Knuckles saw him resting in his shack. The 'office' was no bigger than closet, its only free space being taken up by crates practically overflowing with parchments, dock notes, and scribbled reminders to organize his paperwork. "Man, how does this guy keep track of anything?"  
"I know it might not look it, but this guy's system is solid."

Knuckles carefully tip-toed over the elderly man's paperwork, careful not to mess up his 'organization'. Now standing beside the snoozing walrus he gently shook his shoulder to wake him.

"Umm, excuse me? Harbor Master? Are you awake?"

No response and Sonic knew exactly why as he scoffed at the echidna's attempts and pushed by him.

"Oh, I get it. You can smother me of bed and but you can't bring yourself to give a decent wake up call? Stand aside."

Sonic reeled back his head, taking in a massive amount of air in his lungs. Knuckles knew what was coming and instinctively covered his ears. Sonic brought his right thumb and index finger to his mouth while Knuckles started having second thoughts.

"Sonic, wait! Maybe we shouldn't-"

But before Knuckles could finish Sonic let out an ear-piercing whistle, one so high in pitch that Knuckles could hear his canine neighbors losing it. The whistle seemed to shake the whole shack, papers trembling and empty beer bottles shattering. When Sonic's whistle started to die down he was panting and so out of breath he was gasping for air. However, the Harbor Master's ear lazily perked up and his eyes slowly started to peel open. When the elder woke he saw two young boys, one gasping for air and trying hard not to faint and the other holding his hands and trying to get rid of the ringing in his ears. He recognized them immediately from their bright primary colored fur and began to grin as he slipped out of his chair.

"Well, well. If it isn't Cesped's boys. You two have grown up so big look at you- especially you Sonic!"

"Wh-me?"

"Yes, yes. I remember when you were so small you could fit in a boot! Oh, what a young man you've become." The elder made a pinching motion at Sonic, making the hedgehog reflexively flinch from unwanted cheek assault.

"Heheh, alright, alright. I get it. I used to be cute. Look, we've got a problem right now and we need your help. Right, Knuckles?"

The echidna rubbed his hidden ears and gawked confusedly at the hedgehog, "DID YOU SAY SOMETHING?"

"Oh, for crying out-Harbor Master can you please help us figure out what happened to the clinic?"

The old walrus stroked his growing bead and nodded in agreement. "Oh, the clinic? It's a shame, isn't it?"

"Is what a shame? We just found out today that it was closed."

"You just found out? Oh my, well, according to these progress logs from neighboring docking stations, the ship known as 'Caduceus' was reported to have been seized!"

"Seized?" Knuckles shook his head one final time, relishing in his now healed hearing. Crossing his arms and tapping his foot, his mood soured immensely. "Doesn't that mean it's been taken by-"

"Pirates, yes. And the worst thing is that 'Caduceus' was carrying very valuable medicine ingredients; Ginkgo, Kava kava, Valerian, and even vast amounts of the echinacea flower."

Knuckles suddenly stomped on the ground, shaking the whole shack!"Echinacea! That's what dad needs for his medicine! Those bastards!"

Sonic rushed over to Knuckles side, grasping his arm in support. "Knuckles, calm down! Look, we shouldn't worry, right? Someone's gotta be after these guys already, right?" The old man solemnly shook his head, gripping this knees in sorrow.

"No, I'm afraid the crew that seized the medicine cargo are notorious criminals with their bloomers stuffed with guns. They are far too dangerous for any of our men to handle." The hedgehog groaned and ruffled his quills with his hands until they were disheveled in a hysterical manner.

"You gotta be kidding me! So what?! We're just going to let these bastards steal medicine from us? If we don't fight back how are we supposed to prevent this from happening in the future?!"

"Now, calm down, young man! You're only a boy so I'll forgive your ignorance, but you can't talk so lightly about fighting a crew as tyrannical as this!" Sonic only groaned louder as Knuckles started to reflect his own brother's feelings, heart break and rage boiling inside them both.

"What about the crew on 'Caduceus'? Who's going to save them?!" The echidna gasped suddenly from that revelation. He never once thought about the crew, just the medicine, and he suddenly prayed that those poor souls were still alive and well. He felt ashamed for not thinking about his fellow man sooner, his heart solely focused on the medicine that would aid his aging father. His father. Right now he was probably wondering what was taking them so long. They were done here.

"Sonic, let's go."

"What? But, Knux-"

 **"Now."**

Sonic's ears flattened quick at the echidna's tone, not used to seeing Knuckles in such an intense mood. His head low and the Harbor Master watched as the two boys depart his station.

"Those poor boys. The sea once again has chosen to test them again, hasn't it?"


End file.
